A few hours after the Centre announced Agnipath, its brand-new short-term recruitment plan, people looking for jobs in the Army started protesting against it. Students in different parts of the country are holding protests because they don't like how the plan is set up. Most of the protesters want to work in the defense industry and have been waiting for two years to get in.

Several states were holding violent protests against the new recruitment plan, called Agnipath. Thursday, the government clarified that the new model would not only give the armed forces new skills, but it would also give young people more opportunities in the private sector and help them become entrepreneurs with the help of a financial package.

All About The Scheme 

Soldiers will be chosen between the ages of 17.5 and 21, and they will be paid between 30,000 and 40,000 rupees per month. Also, women are welcome to apply for the positions that are open. People who want to join the military must meet the medical requirements for their category or trade.

After four years, the soldiers who were recruited under Agnipath will be kicked out of the military. However, the new system will have a way to keep about 25% of those soldiers after another screening process. All three services will have a central online system where people can sign up. Specialized rallies and campus interviews will also be held at well-known technical schools, such as Industrial Training Institutes and the National Skills Qualifications Framework, among others.

Depending on which of the three services they choose, volunteers will be able to get risk and hardship allowances. They will also get an attractive monthly package that can be tailored to their needs. When the Agniveers' four-year commitment is up, they will be eligible for the "Seva Nidhi" package, which is a one-time payment.

Why Are They Protesting?

They are protesting the part of the plan that says you have to serve for four years. The people who wanted to join the Army and were protesting said that the plan wouldn't help people looking for work or the country. The fact that 75% of the youth in the "Agneepath Yojana" will have to leave after four years is the biggest problem for them.

A candidate said that a young person who becomes an entrepreneur at the age of 17.5 wouldn't have a professional degree or any special skills, so he will have to take jobs that aren't as good. Their biggest worry is that they won't be able to do a good job in the four years they have and that when that time is up, they won't have a pension or other retirement benefits and will have to look for work again.

Army aspirants said that the plan is just for show and doesn't do much to create jobs and opportunities. Young people who are about to join the Army say that they train for many years and work hard to get ready. In this situation, they don't take a four-year job. The protesting students asked the government to immediately stop this plan.

Violence Eruption In Many Parts Of India

There have been violent protests in places like Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Madhya Pradesh. In Bihar, people who want to work are protesting in eight districts, including Buxar, Jahanabad, Muzaffarabad, Saran, Bhojpur, Munger, Kaimur, and Nawada.

Aspirants in Bihar, Rajasthan, and Haryana stopped trains and roads because they wanted to use the old way of hiring again. Protests have also happened in the Rajasthan cities of Sikar and Jhunjhunu. Young people in the Gurugram and Rewari neighborhoods of Bilaspur and Sidhrawali took to the streets to protest a plan from the Center.

Burning The Country Does Not Serve The Purpose

As the protests against the Centre's Agnipath recruitment scheme got more violent, the home minister of Haryana, Anil Vij, said on Friday that people who made a mess and burned public property were not fit for the armed forces. You have to be able to follow the rules if you want to join the Indian Army. He said this as people who wanted to join the Army continued to protest in Haryana districts like Charkhi Dadri, Palwal, Gurugram, Rewari, and others.

The minister said that there were always people in the country trying to cause trouble. He also said, "Everyone has the right to protest, but it's not okay to burn public property in order to protest." Also, some people in our country look for ways to cause trouble all the time." "There are already clear rules for how to handle the situation. Rioters are being found, and they will be punished in the right way', the minister said.

Government's Response

After this, the government put out a fact sheet about the program to dispel the rumors and make people feel better. They said that Agnipath wouldn't give young people less chances. In fact, they said that there would be more opportunities for young people to join the military. They said, “In the next few years, about three times as many people will join the Agniveers as will join the military.”

The government also told the Agniveers that if they wanted to be business owners, they would get a package of money and a way to get a loan from a bank. "Those who want to keep learning will get a Class 12 equivalent certificate and a bridging course. The CAPFs and state police will give jobs to people who want them, they said.

The Indian Army has always done a good job of keeping India safe. But people who want to join the Army have decided to protest against the new Agnipath Scheme from the government. In a democracy, protests are important as long as they are peaceful. Violence is never the right way to get your point across. People need to understand that setting fire to the country is wrong. Hoping everything settles down soon.